sleep furiously

–The Welsh documentarysleep furiously1 by Gideon Koppel records a year of life in Trefeurig, a small farming community in Wales.

The film does not have an obvious structure or narrative. But in its formless way, it documents the slow decline of the farming community. Koppel has an incredible eye for everyday details that reveal the subtle beauty of life and of simple and elegant truths. The director often lets the camera remain motionless for long periods of time. He is especially fond of long shots which show people or objects moving slowly from one side of the frame to the other side. Despite its slow pace, the film manages to be engaging throughout. In fact, there are several very funny moments which sparked laughter in the audience and brought tears to the eyes of j.

The film has been called a love-letter to Trefeurig, the director’s hometown. But it also feels like a love-letter to the audience.

1The film title may have been inspired by Chomsky’s ‘Colourless green ideas sleep furiously’.